This bums me out as I don't like the idea of having to hit a second button either. Sory, but it's just more to have to remember and it's something about the 5D2 I don't like. If it's no problem, then why did Canon add this function in the 5D3, since no one ever has a problem with the way the 5D2 limited you?

So you tell your playing kids, "hold on and hold that pose while I look around and find something to meter off of"? I take a lot of people pics and I want to use partial or center weited and I want to focus and recompose and have the darn expose and focus locked, I dont want to have to hit the darn * button too.

I agree with the original poster that this sucks and Canon should have just let people set it up how they want to shoot without that limitation. Since they gave this option with the 5D3 then there must be many others who think of it as a limitation as well.

I don't want to have to remember to hit the darn * button. I want to set my camera to center weighted AND focus and recompose while only using the shutter button and have my focus and meter locked. Not having that option is a BUMMER, and that's why Canon must have fixed it, so they obviously thought it was something that shouldn't be limited in the 5D3.

Now i have to get in my camera and switch all my custom settings back to evaluative metering, uh, unless I now want to learn to remember that I have to use two buttons now for simple recompose.

I always have to move my eye away from the view finder just to make sure I am hitting the right button, just something that i do because I always want to be sure. Anything that forces me to HAVE to use a second button to use 3 of the 4 metering modes is a HUGE BOTHER to me. I now have my 5D2 for sale for 1,300 and shipping after paying 1,900 for it 5 months ago, and this is a reason I am glad I do. I ams witching to the Fuji X-E1 and hopefully this limitation will be a thing of the past.

I agree that this thread has become a bit of a 'dogs breakfast' as far as discerning information goes. Not the least because of my own contributions unfortunately.

In any case, I can see how some people are 'less than thrilled' by the approach taken by Canon. I think there is certainly merit in being able to lock both focus and exposure (as you can with evaluative) with a single button press. For those that are used to working this way with evaluative, it would certainly be more consistent of the camera behaved the same in the other metering modes.

In my case, because of the way I have my camera set, it is consistent across the metering modes (which led me to give out some confusing information in this thread - sorry). So, at least with the 5D3, it is certainly possible to set up the camera in such a way as to ensure it is consistent across all the metering modes in One-Shot AF. However, it still means two button presses to lock both focus and exposure in One-Shot.

As others have said, working this way is not really an issue (at least for many). I'm used to it and I find having a separate control for each lock to be a more flexible way to work. It really takes no longer to work with two buttons than it does with one.

Lets face it, you can lock exposure almost instantly - certainly within the time it takes to achieve and lock focus. So all this complaining about it "taking too long" seems to be just people looking for an excuse to validate their wish to not learn how to use their camera correctly.

At the end of the day, it is what it is. There is no doubt that you can achieve the same outcomes with a two-button schema as you can with a single-button one. It just requires the photographer to spend a little time practising their technique - just like every other facet of photography.

You keep saying "Learn how to use your camera" I need to learn nothing more. Of course I know how to hit the extra AE lock button, but I DON'T LIKE DOING THAT AND FEEL IT'S A LIMITATION THAT IS SILLY!!! Just because I don't WANT to be FORCED to do that doesn't mean I don't know HOW to do it. That is something utterly different. Why do you keep equating not liking to HAVE to do it to knowing HOW to do it?

LOL! I didn't.

I'm sure you know how to do it, it's just that you don't really want to bother doing it that way. You'd rather not learn how to do it correctly as that doesn't suit your preference as to how it should be done. That's what I said. Am I wrong?

Amazing, you just said I would "Rather not learn how to do it correctly" AGAIN. So yep, YOU ARE WRONG. I ALREADY know how to do it correctly, and that DOES NOT make it anything other than a silly limitation STILL, what can't you understand about this? I notice you don't mention the 100 EXTRA button pushes on a shoot, right? Because those are 100 extra pushes that shouldn't be needed. I DO KNOW HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY, and it's still a silly limitation that shouldn't be there. Very simple.

I DON'T LIKE how 3 of my 4 metering modes FORCE ME to use two buttons to for exposure and focus. Think about that. THREE OF MY FOUR METERING MODES force me to HAVE to use two buttons. If I am on a shoot, and I take 100 pics, that's 100 extra button pushes that THREE OF MY FOUR METERING MODES FORCE ME IN TO. Doesn't matter if I can practice it until I do it fast, it is still a limitation that is silly and shouldn't be there.

It's only a limitation if it limits you. And with a tiny bit of practice, it wont limit you.

If I have to push 100 extra times at a shoot, that's a limitation, and it's limiting and I don't want to have to do it. It is a limitation and I CAN push the extra button, I know how, and I can do it fairly quick, BUT I SHOULDN'T have to. Why would Canon give you an option to do someone on the 5D3 that IS ABSOLUTELY ZERO OF A PROBLEM AND ZERO LIMITATION? Someone thought it was a limitation, cause Canon added a way to not be limited like this, right?

A farmer might know very well how to use a horse and plow, but that doesn't mean he WANTS to do that over using his tractor, or that he would be satisfied using the horse if he just practiced with it ang got faster.

You are entitled to not like having to push a second button. That's fine by me (as if my opinion really matters to you anyway - hehe)